What to do when you are….

Justin ChoiNovember 7, 2008

The four situations

• There are four situations in which we will make the most mistakes.

• These are the times when we will say or do things that we will later wish we had not.

The four situations

• They are easy to identify and remember: HALT• H= Hurt• A = Angry• L = Lonely• T = Tired

H.A.L.T. = STOP!

H.A.L.T. = STOP!

• Why do we need to stop?– Because these are times when we are most likely

to make mistakes.– Because these are times when we will do

something we will later regret.– Because these are times when we will do

something wrong.

H.A.L.T. = STOP!

• And how do I stop?• How do I practice the H.A.L.T. Principle?

Skit

HURT

When you are hurt…

• Hurts come from the heart.• What are some emotions we associated with

being hurt?– Betrayed, – sad, – angry, – frustrated, – unwanted,

When you are hurt…

• First, STOP!• You need to forgive and release.– E.g. Last month, my friend and I were going to

meet to eat lunch. He did not show up. At first, I thought he was late. Then ten minutes became twenty, twenty became forty. He did not answer his phone. In fact, he did not call me until four hours later. He was very sorry, but I was still hurt a bit.

Skit

ANGRY

When you are angry…

• What does it really mean to be angry?

• Injustice (n)• Unjust (adj.)• Offends your sense of right & wrong

When you are angry…

• When you are angry, remember :

• “A gentle answer turns away wrath,But a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Prov. 15:1

• “In your anger, do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry…” – Eph. 4:26

Skit

Lonely

When you are lonely…

• Three different words:– Alone– Lonely– Solitude

This is solitaire!

When you are lonely…

• What can I do wrong when I am lonely?– Feelings:• Depressed?• Rejected?• Unloved?

– These feelings can lead us to do bad things:• Drugs• Alcohol• Pornography• suicide

When you are lonely…

• STOP!• Remember someone loves you.– Parents, friends– “For God so loved the world that he sent his one

and only Son…” John 3:16

• Alcohol, drugs, and pornography are only substitutes. They cannot truly fulfill. In fact, they can get you into trouble.

Skit

Tired

When you are tired…

• Not just physically tired (like after playing sports or manual labor)

• But also – mentally tired;– emotionally tired;– spiritually tired

When you are tired…

• English phrase: “Just sleep on it.”– Means when you are working on a difficult

problem and cannot see the solution, wait a day and you will have a new perspective.

• Sleep has refreshing abilities.• “energize” = putting in more energy

When you are tired…

• Sometimes, we are tired because what we used to like very much has become boring; instead of making us feel strong, it makes us feel weak.

• Think back to why you started this.– E.g. law school, medical school, army commando

Someone bore our burdens

• “… He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.

• “Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”